Clean and Healthy Cooking Methods

 

The raw movement holds that when food is cooked, the natural enzymes and microorganisms are eliminated, nutrient levels plummet, and harmful compounds such as heterocyclic amines (HCA’s) are formed. They would admit that there are exceptions, such as when you cook tomato sauce, which increases the lycopene and overall antioxidant activity, but in general, less is more when it comes to cooking.

That said, most people are not inclined to go raw. So here are some tips on how to cook your food and keep the nutrients while avoiding the pathogens and carcinogens.

In general, low temperatures are better for retaining the highest nutrient content of foods and for reducing oxidation and its associated toxic by-products. Frying, grilling, and even broiling, especially using high heat, depletes nutrients and increases carcinogens. Here are a few things that help:

• Steam Your Veggies – Researchers found that steaming, microwaving, and brief stir-frying of brassica vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts, maintained the veggies’ anti-cancer properties otherwise known as glucosinolates. (Yeah, that’s a new one on me too.)

• Hold off on adding lemon juice and other acids for flavoring until the vegetables are cooked. Acids can break down vegetables, particularly more delicate varieties, encouraging additional nutrient   loss.

• Poaching is one of my favorite safe cooking methods. You can poach green vegetables in a little bit    of water and some coconut oil. As a general rule, keep the lid on while you’re poaching or steaming. The food will cook faster, and less time subjected to the heat is good. 

I poach fish in bone broth—for those who do not like “fishy” things, this is both nutritious and delicious! You can put it in the oven and poach it at 250 degrees or cook it on top of the stove on low.

It is also a good idea to consider poaching muscle meats, as frying, grilling or broiling produces a carcinogen. One of the foremost toxins associated with cooking is heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Both are varieties of carcinogenic compounds. Studies have linked the intake of these compounds with cancer of the stomach, which is one of the most fast-acting and lethal cancers. Currently, no federal guidelines address the safe consumption levels of HCAs and PAHs formed while cooking muscle meats. However, be aware that higher heat cooking such as frying, broiling, and especially grilling produce the highest levels. In fact, HCA levels can triple when temperatures are raised from 392 degrees to 482 degrees Fahrenheit which is what you get with these methods of preparing meat. HCA and PAH formation can be reduced by avoiding direct exposure of meat to an open flame or a hot metal surface. No more outdoor grilling. 

• Oven Roast – A better option for cooking meat is oven roasting. Even better yet are stewing, braising, or poaching which keeps temperatures at or below boiling. With these slower, lower heat cooking methods, it’s still advisable to cook meats to “medium” doneness.

Other harmful substances associated with high heat cooking such as grilling, broiling, and frying are AGEs (a.k.a. glycotoxins), which have been associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and aging.

Here are a few other related tips: 

• Use broth, coconut oil, clarified butter, or oils like macadamia nut oil if you decide to cook at higher temperatures.  

• Use marinades with herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic, basil, or parsley as they can lower HCAs by up to 87%, as well as add some antioxidant action to the mix. 

• Stir-frying strips of meat is a good alternative for medium heat cooking. I cut my steaks into strips and fry them in coconut oil. It takes less time and the coconut oil tenderizes them.

• Never fry a potato in hot oil – Potatoes have an amino acid, asparagine, that when heated in oil converts to a plastic called acrylamide. This plastic is dangerous based on research showing a connection between higher levels of acrylamide and several different cancers. So, no French fries or potato chips! Unless you use jicama, which makes an acceptable French fry. The best option is to boil the potatoes first, skin on and then fry them to crispy perfection in macadamia or coconut oil. Not only does this prevent the acrylamide, but boiling them removes the starch which is what makes them fattening. 

Swap Poisonous Pots N Pans for Healthy Ones

It’s amazing how dangerous your cookware can be. Scope this out:

• Teflon – this cookware is probably the all-time worst of all cookware according to Johns Hopkins Medical Center. This is because of the chemical PFOA, used in the manufacturing Teflon which is now found in the bloodstreams of nearly everyone in the U.S. and has been linked with cancer, high cholesterol levels, thyroid disease, and reduced fertility. Great. If you are still using one of these things, pitch it.

• Aluminum cookware which is one of the most common cookware’s on the market today can also be very toxic as this heavy metal is absorbed into all food cooked in it. What that means is that the aluminum that is released into the foods during cooking ends up in your body. Excess aluminum has been associated with estrogen-driven cancers and Alzheimer’s Disease.

• Copper cookware is the choice of many because it conducts heat so well. But it releases copper into the food to be eaten and usually also has nickel in the coating, which is another toxic heavy metal and that can be very allergenic for some people.

• Cast iron cookware is very durable but iron is constantly leaching into the food, changing the enzymes in it. Iron can reach toxic levels in the body with regular use and becomes a pro-oxidant which causes stress, oxidation, and eventually disease. Ceramic-covered cast iron is an option.

• Stainless steel cookware is made from a metal alloy consisting of mostly iron and chromium along with differing percentages of molybdenum, nickel, titanium, copper, and vanadium. But even stainless steel allows other metals to leach into the foods. The principal elements in stainless that have negative effects on our health are iron, chromium, and nickel. 

• Ceramic, enamel, and glass cookware offer some real advantages, but may also be manufactured with lead, which can give the product color uniformity. The level of lead in each product is set by the United States – FDA and California Prop 65, so don’t get too excited about the safety.

My Recommendation: Ceramic

Ceramic cookware seems to be the best bet. Its safety is acknowledged by many scientists, mostly because of what it doesn’t have. Ceramic pots and pans are free from metals and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the toxic material used in the Teflon manufacturing process, or any other material that can become a part of your meal. Ceramic bakeware and cookware are simply not manufactured using toxic chemicals or materials.

One brand that has gotten good reviews from those in the know is Xtrema ceramic pots and pans. They are very interesting and are made from an all-natural ceramic. They can withstand temperatures of over 2500 degrees F with no toxic fumes, no melting, no damage, and no warping, according to the manufacturer. I like this about Xtrema ceramic cookware because it means that it does not flake off or melt off at any temperature, so it does not enter your food. In other words, what you cook in it, is all that you are eating and not the ingredients of your pan.

The other thing I really like about it is that the ceramic glaze that Xtrema uses is a 100% natural bacteria-resistant ceramic glaze. This ensures your food’s safety and also keeps foods, especially acidic ones, from leaching into the surface of the cookware. Thanks to this bacteria-resistant feature, you don’t have to worry about the taste of one food transferring into the taste of your next dish. I also think the pots and pans are pretty. They are black, one of my favorite colors. Finally, they are not crazy expensive.